The Human Wish of Flight
by sarcasticallydelicious
Summary: It's a common dream for humans, whether the humans themselves are common or not.
1. Lone Hawks

Hinterland n. 1: a region lying inland from a coast, 2a: a region remote from cities b: a region lying beyond major metropolitan or cultural centers

* * *

Quinn sat at the edge of the cliff, looking out at the vast forests sprawling in every direction. In the foothills of the Great Barrier villages were few and far between, and from her current perch it would be easy to forget that she was still technically within Demacia's borders. The pure wilderness could not be more different than Demacia's capital city.

Valor soared beneath her, wheeling and lazily following a flock of smaller birds. He seemed more at home here, away from all human settlements, less tense. But Quinn supposed by now she was too.

The forest was not entirely free of human life, however. A plume of smoke rose from the valley far below her. Her targets.

Finishing the notes on her map, Quinn rolled it efficiently, sheathed it in the spelled leather tube, and stashed it in the roots of a tree. Should her mission go south the other scouts would be able to pick up the trail.

Quinn stretched and whistled to alert Valor that she was on the move. Her other teammate was running late, but she had little use for other help. Her countrywoman would just have to catch up.

* * *

A few hours hike later Quinn crouched outside the bandits' camp. Despite the remoteness of the location, the encampment was organized with military discipline. From what she and Valor had seen, watches were on a strict schedule and the group had a clear chain of command. No wonder this particular group had been so successful raiding secluded towns along the length of the border.

The underbrush rustled and Quinn brought up her up in one swift motion. Shyvana emerged from the foliage, expression dark. "Do you truly expect such a thing to even slow me down?"

"You'd have received a friendlier welcome if you'd arrived on time," Quinn replied, trying to keep the bitterness from her voice. Why had Prince Jarvan insisted she have backup? She had never needed it before.

The half-dragon stalked up to Quinn's cover, peering at the orderly group of tents. "So you are to back me up? I will hardly need the help with this lot."

"No, we are to capture the leader alive."

"So I suppose the prince sent me this far from civilization to practice not burning all in my path?" Shyvana snorted, smoke billowing form her nostrils. "Lovely."

Despite her intimidating presence, Shyvana seemed to shrink in on herself.

Quinn sighed. "Perhaps he wanted to teach us both a lesson in teamwork." She paused. "And there is as much to learn away from people as with them."

Shyvana was watching her appraisingly, though Quinn could not tell from her expression how she measured up.

Finally, Shyvana spoke. "Fine, I will clear the rabble. In the rest, I will follow your lead."

Quinn nodded back. And while she felt confident in her and Valor's ability, there was something thrilling about charging into battle with a dragon at her side.


	2. Chapter 2

Saltation n. 1a: the action or process of leaping or jumping b: dance, 2: the origin of a new species or a higher taxon in essentially a single evolutionary step

* * *

Shyvana loved flying. With the open air stretching out endlessly around her she felt free, and far from the many things that tried to hold her down. Up here, she didn't have to worry about not knowing the intricacies of Demacian society, or not able to singlehandedly take down a mountain krug. Up here she could simply be.

Movement off to her right pulled her out of her reverie, but it was simply Valor, soaring alongside. Shyvana made a lazy circle in the air, and grinned when the eagle did the same.

Valor's head twisted, reacting to something he could not hear, and he plunged downward, toward the sea of greenery far below them.

She drifted upward, letting herself float and savoring the moment of weightlessness. Then she twisted into a dive, the world coming back at her slowly at first, then faster and faster. Her stomach flew to her throat and wings crawled, screaming against her freefall.

Real dragons did not share this feeling, she knew. It had set her even more apart, the mutant child who was afraid to fly.

Hurtling downward, she sped past Valor, letting out an elated roar. She doubted the real dragons felt the thrill of this. For them, flying was just something they did. For her, it was something she shouldn't be able to, making it all the more daring and freeing and amazing.

Shyvana wove through the tree branched at full speed, relishing every near miss. Right before she crashed into the ground, she flung her wings wide, catching so much wind it felt like it would rip right through her skin.

She beat her wings up once, straining her muscles to throw the air in front of her. The tips of her wings brushed the ground.

She transformed in the moment she hung suspended among the tree trunks, and dropped lightly to the ground.

"That was amazing!" Quinn ran up to meet her, out of breath and eyes sparkling. Valor swooped down and landed on the arm Quinn smoothly offered him. "You must tell me what it's like to fly. I've always wondered."

Shyvana grinned, still flushed and exhilarated from flight. "I'll take you up sometime."

She wasn't sure why she'd said it. Dragons laughed at those who let humans ride them.

But Quinn looked thrilled and even Valor seemed to gaze on her with approval. This was just another of the few times she was glad that, though she was only half dragon, she was half human too.


	3. Songbirds

Caparison n. 1a: an ornamental covering for a horse, b: decorative trappings and harness, 2: rich clothing: adornment

* * *

Quinn tugged at the collar of her dress uniform. Despite the fact that it was, if anything, fewer layers than she usually wore. Still, the fabric was scratchy, the collar dug into her neck, and she felt like a turkey dressed for dinner.

Valor seemed to be fairing a little better, though he seemed to be disoriented by all this. Not that she could blame him.

"All this" was her first League function. The great hall had been decked out in all manner of flowers to highlight the season. They trailed around the columns, filled out massive arrangements as large as the average tree, and hung from the ceiling in carefully arranged garlands.

It was disconcerting. Nature was not so neat or forced. Why these people couldn't just go outside instead of creating such macabre displays of murdered vegetation?

And all these people. There was barely room to move, or breathe. And so many of them wanted to talk to her, despite that she had absolutely nothing to say to them. Her original plan, of hiding behind some of the more outgoing Demacian champions, had quickly been dashed as they had been one by one spirited away. The overly powdered city folk wore clothes loudly proclaiming their names and rank, talking loudly and adding to the cacophony while adding nothing to the world at large.

Xin had already claimed his spot as the prince's tight-lipped companions, the Crownguard siblings juggled half a dozen hangers-on easily, and Fiora verbally whipped some poor boy who had had the misfortune to say the wrong thing to the wrong person. Perhaps the nobles were taught such things as part of their upbringing.

Vayne, as usual, was nowhere to be found. Right now, Quinn wished she could join the Night Hunter wherever she had disappeared to.

After ending yet another, stilted conversation in a stretching silence and her conversation partners awkwardly excusing themselves, she escaped the stifling room to the blessed cool of the balcony. Valor shifted on her arm, spreading his wings to their full impressive span for the first time that evening.

"You fled out here too?"

Quinn jumped, Valor flapping wildly on her arm before jumping to the stability of the overly ornate railing. Heart still racing, she looked around wildly, seeing nothing until she followed Valor's gaze upward.

Shyvana crouched on the overhanging rooftop, ten feet above her, eyes dark. She had apparently harbored similar thoughts about the dress uniform, which hung open to the waist. If the half dragon felt a chill from her torso only being separated from the night air by a dark undershirt, she gave no sign.

Quinn relaxed. "Not comfortable at these things either?"

She could see Shyvana tense, her eyes flaring red. "And what does that mean? Just because I grew up around dragons doesn't mean I can't handle being around people!"

She had the body language of a trapped animal. Quinn relaxed her own, replaying calmly.

"I meant I find these things awkward too."

"Oh." Even in the partial darkness, Quinn could see her flush purple.

Quinn could relate to that. Every conversation she had inside had had at least one moment light that.

"Come down and joined me," she called. "You know none of them in there are dressed warmly enough to disturb us."

Shyvana eyes had calmed by the time she leapt down beside her. Valor didn't even flinch, apparently used to the woman's presence. She leaned against the railing, staring out over the sprawling silent forest.

"At least when dragons meant you harm, they were honest about it."

"Tell me about it," Quinn suggested.

And Shyvana complied.


End file.
